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Chapter 001: Dreams
Dreams (夢, Yume) is the first chapter of the Heartz Journey Arc in the Roads to Regional Saga and the introductory chapter of the entire F!GHT story. It follows the journey of Lowen Heartz, son of Rob Heartz, to become a fighter in the Grand Immortal F!GHT League and restore the glory of the Heartz name. Trained by his uncle, Rubin Heartz, he's also responsible for his little brother Aeben Heartz and winning enough credits to continue his medical treatment for an illness that took the life of their mother when Aeben was born. Introduction Their fists collided against one another with thunderous force. Their movements so fast they blurred. Large clouds swirling under their feet as sand kicked up in their wake. Their battle cries muffled by the roaring tens of thousands in attendance watching intently as they fought. Huge screens floated in a circular formation high above the arena of Julius, displaying the main event match between local hero and Regional Champion Rob Heartz, and his fierce opponent, Tiger Monroe. The people of BattleScar are a battle-hungry bunch in search of entertainment. The fighters of the Grand Immortal F!GHT League provide that entertainment. Today, the crowd is not disappointed. The two fought at the center of the Colosseum, attacks crashing against defense. Rob with his strong and linear fighting style facing off against Tiger Monroe's quick, agile and animalistic one. "Ladies and Gentlemen, looks like things are really heating up between these two." The commentator spoke with enthusiasm into his microphone, transmitting his words to the millions watching at home on their home displays. The commentator had a nondescript look to him: plain black glasses, black suit, close cropped blond hair. All the makings of a simple announcer whose main focus was to excite the crowd with his oratory skills, often dramatizing the events in front of him. "Will Tiger Monroe be victorious? Or will our regional champion, Rob Heartz, keep his crown?" He asked as the fighters continued battling with intensity. Tiger Monroe runs towards Rob, weaving himself between the large stone pillars planted throughout the arena. He used its cover to temporarily mask his movements as he charged at his opponent. Monroe gained his nickname from the numerous scars on his arms and back that resembled the stripes on a tiger. He incorporated the name's meaning into his fighting style, preferring to attack with his fingers like claws, slashing at his opponents with his nails. Like a predatory beast, he locked his cold blue eyes on Rob, his arms back as he leaned forward with his charge. Rob merely smiled as he watched Tiger, "Come on then." He said with confidence and curled his fingers into tight fists. Tiger ran up a leaning pillar to gain the height advantage and leaped into the air. An aura of orange energy erupted around him, releasing a wave of pressure that traveled up the stands where the crowd sat. "Oh boy, looks like Tiger Monroe has unleashed his Drive!" The commentary shouted with excitement. Drive, a force found in all humans that pushes them beyond their limits, but only a select few are able to harness its true potential. Fighters in the GIFL use Drive to empower them, increase their strength and speed during their matches, and can manifest itself as a colored aura around them when their pushing themselves. Similar to what Tiger Monroe is doing during this match. As the match continues, lining the walls separating the crowd from the combatants are specially designed recording devices, measuring a fighter's power and fighting ability, capturing it as battle data. Even now they are measuring Tiger Monroe's Drive, displaying the information back to GIFL headquarters so they can update their records. On the giant displays above them, the crowd sees a bar next Tiger Monroe's profile raising, indicating that his fighting potential has increased. Tiger Monroe drops down on Rob's location with both his feet, causing the ground beneath them to explode in a thick cloud. Rob leaps back to create space between himself and Tiger. Right as he lands, Tiger rushes out from the cloud, his orange aura now shaped like the upper body of a tiger surrounding his arms and head. A trail of energy creating a tail behind him. He's activated his Gear. Rob thinks to himself and the announcer confirms this. "Tiger Monroe activated Hunter's Prey!" The announcer can barely contain himself from the spectacle that he and millions are witnessing. When a fighter has learned to control their Drive properly, their is a chance that they can unlock dormant powers within them known as Gears. These powers and the display of their Drives turns any fight into a grand show. The crowd, seeing Tiger shrouded in his Gear, are standing on their feet cheering at the two opponents down in the arena. With lightning speed, Tiger shifts in front of Rob and throws one of his arms forward like a knife stabbing the air. Rob reacts just in time to swat the arm away, but Tiger quickly spins around and catches the side of Rob's head with the heel of his foot in a spinning kick. The strike is like a hammer, loud and hard. It staggers Rob who quickly recovers but Tiger is already preparing another attack. After his kick, he continues spinning with his momentum and hops into the air while simultaneously swiping in Rob's direction. The orange aura is cast off as a crescent shaped wave of energy that flies towards him. Rob rolls to the side and avoids it just in time to witness it slice through the ground and crash against the far wall behind him. The force causes the invisible barrier protecting the audience from the combatants to shimmer and ripple. The people closest to the wall jump back startled, spilling their food and drinks, and the rest howl in excitement. Rob looks at the scar Tiger's attack made and then back to the man himself. All around him the audience thirsts for action, and as a fighter from Julian they cheer his name loudly. He absorbs their chants and releases his Drive. Pale blue energy erupts like a geyser around him as he fixes his gaze back at Tiger. Both combatants let their Drives speak to their determination and at this point the screams from the crowd are deafening. Their profiles up on the screens with Rob's bar increasing as his battle power rises. Both bars hold themselves near the same level, signifying both are roughly equal in strength. "For all those just tuning in, Rob Heartz has just released his Drive against Tiger Monroe's Gear: Hunter's Prey. Will we see Ever Legend come into play?" The commentator asks. Rob raises his fists and prepares for his attack. Tiger does the same, holding his hands up and fingers curled like claws. They grin at each other, an unspoken respect between the two. "Ready, Tiger?" Rob's voice was soft, even for a man with his strong build. Tiger gestured with his head his response. "Come, Heartz." He spoke with an accent, rolling his r's when he mentions Rob's last name, deeper in tone. As their Drives rise, the crowd anxiously waits for the two to continue their bout. After a few moments of staring, letting their Drives settle, they both rocket towards each other and collide. The force causes the ground to once again explode underneath them, this cloud much larger than before. The sounds of their attacks ring, their silhouettes being the thing the crowd can see. Each uses their increased strength to land punishing blows that thunder when they connect. Rob strikes Tiger on the left cheek with a right handed punch, stunning Tiger for a second and quickly retaliateds with a spinning heel kick to Rob's midsection. The cloud blew away from the force of their attacks, revealing the two to the rest of the audience. Rob staggers back but he immediately shoots forward with his left arm in the air. "Strong Heartz..." With those words, his arm swells and the muscle grows, becoming more prominent as the veins on his bicep pop out. Tiger, in a moment of shock, leaps back. "...Falling Hammer!" Rob shouts and his fist crashes where Tiger was standing, causing another large explosion of sand. From the top of the cloud came Tiger spinning backwards and landing on top of a half destroyed pillar. "Rob did it, he did it!" The commentator shouts at the edge of his seat. "He's activated his Gear, Ever Legend!" Part 1. Good Times South of Julius, in the small island town of Whorl is a 7 year old Lowen Heartz whose eyes are glued to his home display watching his father battle against Tiger Monroe. Behind him, sitting on a wooden rocking chair is his pregnant mother, Eva, reading a book and enjoying the cool breeze coming through the window. As the match continues Lowen holds up small figurines of both combatants and mimics their fight with his hands. "Tiger Monroe has no chance of winning against dad." Lowen says without turning his head. His words filled with pride for his father. "He's using a Generator Type Gear against dad's Enhancer Type Ever Legend. Tiger's got the range advantage but dad's got the higher strength. If Tiger gets too close, dad'll take him out. Hunter's Prey shapes Tiger's Drive power into a mane of energy to protect him, kinda like a tiger's, and can also send razor sharp waves of energy to attack with." Lowen holds up Tiger's figurine higher. "His Level 4 Drive is the same as dad's, but with him using Ever Legend, it puts dad at an advantage in close combat and power. All dad needs to do is connect with a Strong Heartz technique and its lights out for Tiger Monroe." He then uses Rob's figurine to knock Tiger's out of his hand. His mother smiles. "If only you showed as much enthusiasm in your studies as you do in these matches." Lowen didn't register her words as he was still caught up in Rob's match. "Hey, mom, how come you don't watch dad's matches?" Eva rested her book on the windowsill and placed a hand on her belly. "Watching your father fight is too exciting and I wouldn't want to put that anxiety on the baby." She rubs the surface of her stomach with her thumb and looks down at it. "Your little brother is coming soon." Eva's words are soft and soothing. Lowen turns his head this time, though he could still hear the commentator behind him describing Rob's battle with Tiger Monroe. "Its incredible. The two are moving so fast I can barely keep up with them." The commentator continues on. Lowen walks up over to Eva with Rob's figurine in hand. "Did you pick a name for him yet?" "Not yet, sweetie. Why? Do you have one?" Eva asks thoughtfully turning her head to Lowen. Her vibrant red eyes shimmering like rubies as they catch glare from the sun. "I was thinking we could name him after grandpa." Lowen says as he places his free hand on Eva's stomach. "Aeben." "Aeben, huh? What a lovely name." She places her hand on Lowen's and leans back in her chair, closing her eyes. "Aeben Heartz." The commentator's words rang in the background. "What a knockout! Rob Heartz has won the match!" Part 2. Bad Times Rob and Lowen are sitting in the waiting room. Its been several hours since Eva went in after her water broke and signaled Aeben's coming arrival. Rob had stood next to her but the doctors noticed complications and he was rushed out of the room. The sense of gloom floated across Rob's face when he saw how the nurses rushed in and out. Lowen was still too young to know any better, but he could sense something was wrong just by looking at his father. Lowen saw his father as this towering, powerful man who couldn't be beat. Now, there was this vulnerability on his face. Lowen sat on the chair next to Rob, his feet dangling in the air. Rob is hunched over with his head in his hands, his fingers scratching his scalp through his black hair. He looked over to Lowen, seeing his son's big eyes staring at him. He took one hand and placed it on his son's, telling him that everything will be alright. Lowen's uncle, Rob's brother, Rubin bursts through the doors and rushes over to us. Rob stands up and embraces him. Rubin leaves a hand on Rob's shoulder. "How's Eva?" He asks. "The doctors are still with her. They said there was something wrong and then the blood didn't stop." Rob realizes that Lowen can hear everything he is saying and quickly stops talking. A doctor coes out of the room and asks for my father. Rob knows something is wrong, regardless of how much he didn't want it to be true. "Rubin..." Rob turns to his brother. "Could you take Lowen out of here for a minute?" Lowen runs up and hugs his father's leg tightly, not wanting to be separated from him. Rob merely crouches down and lifts him up. "Its alright. I'm not going anywhere. I just need you to go with Uncle Rubin for a little while why I go check on mommy." Lowen tries hard to hold on as Rob passes him to Rubin. Lowen begins to cry and Rubin craddles his head. He turns his back and walks towards the door. Lowen sees his father walk over to the doctor. He can't hear what's being said but sees the doctor shake his head and Rob hunches forward, his hands covering his eyes. The last thing Lowen sees is the door closing between him and his father, the sound of Rob starting to cry as it shuts. The Regional Champion has just lost his wife. Part 3. Ugly Times Rob sits near the window of Rubin's home as he always does since he was confined to his wheelchair. The lively and strong Rob Heartz has been replaced by a weaker and meager version ever since he lost his match with Othniel Gold. He now spends most of his time looking at the sea, much like Eva did. Aeben is four years old, laying on the floor and playing with his toys. The doctors were able to save him when Eva was giving birth to Aeben, but unfortunately they could not save Rob's wife. She had always been sick, her body too frail to handle much stress. The winnings Rob earned helped pay for her medicine. He sacrificed fighting in the Grand Immortal Circuit so that he could stay closer to home. Instead fighting in regional matches only. When Lowen was born, he was miraculously healthy. Aeben wasn't so lucky. Whatever Eva had Aeben inherited. With Rob wheelchair bound, he wouldn't be able to earn the same amount of credits as he did when he was in the GIFL. Rubin, also retired, helps with the finances with his small business: a gym located in Julius. Rob's brother spends a lot of his time in the capital city to run the gym, leaving the house in Whorl to Rob and his sons. To help with Aeben's treatment, Lowen does small jobs on the island. Mainly an amateur courier service. Even though eleven years old, he's assumed a lot of the family's responsibilities after his mother passed away and Rob was crippled. He still finds time to be a child, jovial and young as he runs through the town. He's earned a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker sometimes, playing practical jokes on the aging community. But his actions are largely tolerated by his strong work ethic and love of his family. Whorl has always been good to the Heartz Family due to Rob and Rubin's success in the GIFL. Even after they both retired, much of their debt has been largely forgiven for the business the island gained during Rob's reign as regional champion. Lowen lands on the deck outside of Rob's window with a small bag in hand, the other holding his hat in place. He waves at his father with a wide grin. Rob smiles warmly at his son, seeing a spirit that he once saw in himself. "Got Aeben's medicine." Lowen says and hops through the window. He hugs his dad and Rob kisses the top of Lowen's head. Lowen walks over to Aeben, still playing with small GIFL figurines as he watches the display on the wall. He places his hat on top of Aeben's head and walks over to the kitchen to prepare his little brother's medicine. Rob watches both his sons as they chat with one another and a cool breeze slides past his face. He closes his eyes and leans back in his chair. Rob Heartz passes away one month later. Part 4. Gone but Not Forgotten Lowen, now 20 years old and grown into a man, holds up a photo of him and his parents. Even through a photo he can see his mother's softness and love, his father's strength and pride as they held a baby Lowen up between them smiling. The sun shines its warm rays on Lowen's face as he lies on the floor of the crow's nest, his legs crossed and one arm folded behind his head propping him up. Beyond the cone of the nest, bright blue skies hang above with birds periodically flying past his line of sight. The sounds of the ocean all around him. He stares at the photo thoughtfully and then presses it to his bare chest, closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh. The wind whispers above him as it slides past the crow's nest. He lets this moment hang, losing himself in the stillness. Memories of his parents when they were alive. Eva singing to him, Rob hoisting him into the air when they walked on the beaches of Whorl. He taps the back of the photo. "Time to work." He raises the photo to his lips, gives it a kiss and places it in the back pocket of his black shorts. Lowen brings his knees up and hops to his feet, making sure to stretch his lower back as he stands straight. He places one foot on the edge of the nest and lifts himself up so that he can see all of Whorl. He scans around the entire fishing community, bathed in the tropical weather the Julian Region is known for. He sees the tops of small homes, tents covering the market areas, small boats tied to port while the larger ships anchored out away from the beach. Fifty feet up, Lowen leans off the side, hand holding onto a rope connected from the top of the mast down to the deck. A line of small boats string along the edge of the ship all the way to the harbor. Without pause Lowen dives off the crow's nest in perfect form. As the air whips past him and the ground grows closer, he grabs the rigging and catches himself before he hits the deck. He swings his body and propels himself off the side of the ship, landing on top of the closest fishing boat. His landing causes the boat to bob, splashing the water and then bounces off to the next one over. Lowen does this across all the ships until he hits the dock, the last one having a local fisherman inside who comes out to yell at Lowen with a raised fist in the air. Lowen simply laughs to himself and lands on the awning of a nearby merchant shop. He slides to the edge and lands on his feet. Then begins to run as Old Lady Gretchen comes out threatening to hit Lowen over the head with a bucket of chum. The market area of Whorl is busy at noon with fisherman coming in for lunch and selling what they could find. Some sell catches of the day, some sell trinkets they find at the bottom of the sea. Lowen weaves between the crowd, sliding underneath tables and hopping over crates. The townspeople bicker and complain to him as he zips past them. He clears the market area and jumps up onto the roofs of nearby homes, using them like stepping stones as he flies over Whorl. The son of the great Rob Heartz, with the same pride and power as his father, clutching his hat, dreams of becoming the next GIFL Champion. Chapter Details Characters *Lowen Heartz *Aeben Heartz (Flashback) *Rob Heartz (Flashback) *Eva Heartz (Flashback) *Rubin Heartz (Flashback) *Tiger Monroe (Flashback) Gears Used *'Ever Legend' (エバー・レジェンド, Ebā Rejendo) *'Hunter's Prey' (猟師餌食, Ryōshi Ejiki) Techniques Used None. Abilities Used *Drive